


Missed Chances

by Anonymous



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Fire Emblem: Three Houses Blue Lions Route, Happy Ending, M/M, Post-Canon, Sad Ending, Tsundere Felix Hugo Fraldarius, Unrequited Love, happy ending for the happy couple, sad ending for dimitri
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:21:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24487375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: When Ferdinand and Felix announce their engagement, Dimitri realizes something significant.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Felix Hugo Fraldarius, Ferdinand von Aegir/Felix Hugo Fraldarius
Comments: 4
Kudos: 46
Collections: Anonymous





	Missed Chances

Unlike the rest of the former Black Eagle class, Ferdinand von Aegir hadn't sided with Edelgard during the war. Instead, he had chosen to fight alongside the Faerghuns even if it meant laying siege to the land that had once been his home. His reason? He couldn't support someone who would try to change Fodlan through bloodshed.

The irony had been that he had tried to help end the war with equal amounts of bloodshed. What was more, the one leading the fight against the Emperor had been none other than the herald of ceaseless slaughter.

Dimitri, on his part, had been incessantly suspicious of Ferdinand back when he had been deranged, his mind full of nothing but the deprave desire for Edelgard's severed head. It didn't matter that Ferdinand had deserted the Empire; he had been nothing more but an Imperial rat in Dimitri's perspective. If he had his way, he would have long slain the man, but Felix had intervened every time. 

Now, two years later, the war had ended, Dimitri had been crowned as king of a united Fodlan, and his sanity had been kept intact with crude stitches and bandages. But even a shoddy patchwork was better than having a raving mad man as a ruler. With his head clear of his lust of vengeance, Dimitri could see what a good man Ferdinand von Aegir truly was.

A truly good man to have captured the heart of Felix Hugo Fraldarius.

In truth, Dimitri hadn't realized the nature of the two men's relationship until one day at the end of a conference meeting. All those who had attended were his former classmates and the professor, including the nobles of the Golden Deer house. Of course, Ferdinand was there. For everything that he had done for them, the man had been long considered to be an honorary Blue Lion. 

When the meeting had reached its conclusion, Ferdinand abruptly stood up from his seat, a dazzling grin spreading across his face. The man had been well-known for his earnestness and zeal, if not for his stringent beliefs in noble conduct, but never had Dimitri seen him so exuberant before.

"Everyone, Felix and I have an announcement to make!"

Interestingly, Felix covered his face with his hand, his ears darkening in a red hue. " _Now_?" Felix groaned.

"There's no better time to do it," Ferdinand insisted.

"Ferdinand, my good man, is this what I think it is?" Lorenz gasped.

"I think it is!" Annette squealed, her cheeks flushed in excitement. 

Dimitri looked at the group in equal parts of confusion and curiosity. Judging by everyone's expressions, it seemed that only he was out of the loop. What did they know that he didn't? For that matter, what could this news be that could make Felix turn away and blush?

Ferdinand's eyes then widened and he whipped his head in Dimitri's direction. "Oh, my apologies, your majesty! I didn't mean to take over without your permission. How very rude of me."

Dimitri smiled. He didn't see it as rude, but it was admittedly uncharacteristic of him being that Ferdinand was a stickler for propriety, especially around Dimitri. His excitement obviously got the better of him for him to momentarily forget his manners. "It's quite alright, Ferdinand," Dimitri assured him. "Please, tell us your announcement."

"You have my gratitude, my liege." Ferdinand cleared his throat and adjusted his cravat, which, for whatever reason, made Felix groan again. Dimitri leaned in, intrigued by what the man had to say.

Ferdinand gave the room another sweeping beam. "I am very proud and ecstatic to announce that Felix and I are getting married!"

Dimitri's smile froze on his face.

"Ah, finally," Byleth drawled. 

"Yeah, it's about time!" Hilda concurred. 

Everyone broke into congratulatory cheers. Ferdinand happily took in the attention, preening like a proud rooster showing off his feathers. Meanwhile, Felix accepted it with his usual disgruntled manner, but there was no denying the pleased smile on his face, no matter how small it was. After Sylvain companionably slapped his shoulder, Felix turned to Ferdinand and laced their fingers together, causing Ferdinand to smile tenderly at the shorter man. 

The sight of Felix instigating affection caused Dimitri's stomach to lurch. His smile was still in place, but it...suddenly felt like a burden to maintain. What was this feeling? Was it unease?

"You two are so perfect for each other!" Mercedes enthused, clapping her hands together. "Especially for Felix!"

Felix's smile dropped, a familiar scowl taking over. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, come on, man. Isn't it obvious?" Sylvain teased. "With Ferdinand here to pull you out of your grumpy moods, we get to stop seeing you prowl around the corridors like some kind of grim reaper. I mean, we haven't seen you doing that for months, but we know what matrimonial bliss will get you." Ignoring Felix's annoyed complaints, Sylvain blithely carried on, saying, "Did you know there used to be rumors about you in the barracks? The knights once thought you were a ghastly apparition."

"Truly?" Ferdinand burst out laughing. "I had no idea! Please, do tell."

"Sylvain, if you know what's good for you, you better not," Felix groused.

The merriment continued, jokingly at Felix's expense and fueling Ferdinand's amusement. Dimitri, however, felt detached from it all. It was as though there was a fathomless distance placed between him and them. He felt like an interloper, here to only observe a gathering of friends while he remained as the stranger. Something twisted and squirmed within him, and the sensation amplified the longer he stared at Felix's face.

A hand suddenly landed on his shoulder, causing Dimitri to flinch. 

"Are you okay?" Byleth inquired. The Archbishop was impassive as ever, but there was an glint of concern in those eyes. "You seem out of it."

"I - " Dimitri blinked, and then shook his head. "I'm shocked, is all." And that wasn't a lie. "I didn't expect them to have such a relationship."

"Ah." Byleth pulled away and nodded knowingly. "Well, you have been busy as king, after all, and it's not as though they flaunted their courtship." There was a thoughtful expression on the former professor's face. "Knowing Ferdinand, he would've wanted to do that, but I think he refrained for Felix's sake."

Courtship. The word resounded in his head like a clanging church bell. Ferdinand and Felix had been...courting one another.

Dimitri swallowed thickly. "How long?"

"I think...since the end of the war?"

 _Two years_ \- they had been courting for two years and not once had Dimitri noticed! How could this be? Surely he would have seen any indication of their relationship despite his workload. It wasn't as though he was a dense man. Felix was often by his side, working tirelessly as his advisor, so there shouldn't be any reason for him to not notice. Even while Ferdinand had been away, making efforts in the former Adrestian region.

That was when he realized that Ferdinand seldom being in the royal palace meant that he was seldom seen with Felix _in the royal palace_. Which meant that Dimitri had scarcely seen them together to witness their interactions, not like the others who hadn't been confined within these gilded walls. 

"But even before then, they always gravitated towards one another," Byleth commented. "I don't know how they were back when they were students, but it was fairly obvious they were attracted to one another during the war."

Was it? A crashing wave of embarrassment washed over him. Perhaps it _was_ a matter of him being dense, or, more likely, a result of his madness. Of course, at that time, his obsession with killing Edelgard had rendered him dismissive of everyone's affairs. And after Rodrigue's death, he had developed a single-minded focus on redeeming himself that he, once again, had neglected everyone. 

But if he were to reflect back on those days, he could recall Felix cutting between him and Ferdinand, standing protectively in front of the Adrestian man. He could recall Ferdinand and Felix sitting together during meals, sparring with one another, exchanging smiles... He had thought of them as close, if not unusual, friends. He had been jealous of their bond, wishing that it had been him instead of Ferdinand who Felix sat next to, sparred with, and smiled at. As time passed by, that jealousy waned when he had rekindled his friendship with Felix.

However, now knowing that their relationship had been actually romantic in nature, Dimitri felt... Dimitri felt...

He was jealous. Again. The ugly, gnarling emotion emerged, wrapping itself around him with its vice-grip, suffocating him. Dimitri found himself unable to bear looking at Felix - at Felix who was regarding another man with so much love and warmth - without falling apart.

The first time he had felt as though his world had been tipped off its axis had been he had lost his father and stepmother; the second time being Edelgard's reveal as the Flame Emperor. The third time was now - him realizing that he had been in love with Felix all this time. 

This realization came to him in such a startling way that he was at a loss as to what he should do. 

When the day ended and Dimitri finally retired to his room, he further mulled over Ferdinand and Felix's relationship. He didn't mean to - it would have been better if he banished the thought altogether to spare him the pain, but he was a glutton for punishment

The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. It had been Ferdinand who had comforted Felix when Rodrigue had died. It had been Ferdinand who had helped Felix shoulder his burden as the king's advisor. It had been Ferdinand who had shown Felix how to cut a path through political affairs. And where had Dimitri been when this had been happening? Standing away from Felix.

Perhaps in another world where Dimitri had never lost himself to his grief and ghosts, where he had been whole and hale, he would have recognized his feelings for what they were, and Felix might even return his feelings. But who could love a pale imitation of what had been when Felix could have Ferdinand, who was vibrant with life and assiduous in everything that he did. Ferdinand, who had helped Felix through his pain and sorrow, unlike Dimitri who had caused them.

Dimitri dropped a hand over his face as his chest constricted painfully. Just when he had believed he had Felix by his side again, he now lost him. He missed his chance before he even knew he had one.


End file.
